


it's an insult to clown cars

by elegantstupidity



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Local Politics, Pro-choice Politics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-09
Updated: 2016-04-09
Packaged: 2018-06-01 04:06:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6500143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elegantstupidity/pseuds/elegantstupidity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Meeting with your local legislators is an honor, except when your legislator is an immoral dick. </p><p>AKA: arguing with politicians together is basically the best way to flirt</p>
            </blockquote>





	it's an insult to clown cars

**Author's Note:**

> As a heads up: Bellamy and Octavia's relationship is discussed, but it is not the focus of this fic. Here, they have a healthy and loving sibling bond, unlike what has been shown in ep. 3x10. I know that this is sensitive for some people, so I just want everyone to take care of themselves and do what they need for their own mental health.
> 
> Also, be aware that this fic does mention abortion. Nothing graphic, just a political discussion of the topic.

 

It's an unfortunate fact that Cage Wallace is the state's Senate Minority Leader. 

It's a more unfortunate fact that Bellamy happens to live in Cage Wallace's district. 

(To be honest, Bellamy's not sure how Wallace keeps getting reelected when he has never voted for the man and is sure none of his neighbors have, either. He suspects gerrymandering and money are at fault.)

As he sits in the under-sized chair outside the Senator's office, feeling like he's been summoned to the principal's office, he tries not to regret his choices. In no universe did he ever want to have a one-on-one meeting with his local elected official, especially one as contemptible as Cage Wallace. Bad enough that he coasted into the position on the back of his father's money and legacy, but he has to double down with some truly terrible political stances. However, with the election approaching, some truly awful bills being introduced in the House, and a freakishly persistent sister, Bellamy took time off to go be a model citizen. 

Generally, he tends to be the kind of person who considers voting the upper reaches of his civic duty. He'd actually voted in the primary this year because of the circus of presidential candidates, but O had pestered him into participating at a more local level. Their last phone call had been a twenty minute rant on the inequity of defunding family planning centers followed by the least subtle hint about visiting hours at the State Capitol. He’d gotten the distinct impression that if he didn't make an appointment to see his legislator, O would unleash some creative and probably humiliating retaliation.

He’s got a packet of information tucked in his pocket that he keeps pulling out and scanning, even though he memorized the information last night. _The TRAP law will close down three of the four clinics that perform abortions, while the defunding bill will cut off more than two-thirds of the women who rely on a sliding scale payment system from receiving reproductive health care_. He's not sure how much he really wants to talk about abortion and sex with an elected official, but it's important to Octavia. Nervously, he continues to recite the information in his head. 

Bellamy hadn’t been nervous when he arrived. He figured that politicians had to be decent at making small talk and wouldn’t be complete dicks to their constituents. How would they ever get elected otherwise?

Then, he’d walked into the capitol.

A perky young woman with a pink clipboard had zeroed in on him almost immediately.  “Hi!” she chirped. “I’m Maya and I’m a page at the Capitol. Are you here for Pro-Choice Lobby Day?”

A little bewildered, Octavia definitely did not tell him about this, Bellamy shrugged. “I guess? My sister told me to come.”

Maya’s smile didn’t falter. “Awesome! It’s really great that our legislators set aside this time to talk to their constituents, but it can only keep happening if the public makes the time, too. So, thank you for coming out!”

He shrugged again, a little thrown off by this unrelenting pleasantry. “You’re welcome,” he said uncertainly, struggling to hide his skepticism. Vaguely, he gestured toward the elevators, which he assumed led to offices. “Should I just—?”

“Oh, I can show you the way if you like.” She was already moving before Bellamy could decline, apparently certain that he would follow. "It’s an old building and there’s not a lot of logic in how the rooms were laid out. Do you know who your legislators are?”

It wasn’t until he said Cage Wallace’s name that Bellamy glimpsed a crack in Maya’s chipper exterior. She let out a contemplative hum, but her mouth was nearly downturned, which felt like a shock after her easy cheer. The rest of the walk to the senator’s office was conducted in a tense quiet.

Bellamy didn’t even get the chance to ask what was wrong because suddenly she was showing him a door and beating a hasty retreat back down the hallway. 

That had been nearly half an hour ago. Senator Wallace’s assistant disinterestedly informed him that the senator was in a meeting, glancing significantly at the closed door beyond her desk, and promptly left him to his own devices. 

So Bellamy waits in the tiny, uncomfortable chair for a man he’s pretty sure he has no real interest in meeting. From his creased pages of research, Bellamy is pretty sure that if he ever met the man in a social setting, he’d want to turn and run as fast as possible. But, he reminds himself again, he’s doing this for O because she asked. (And promised she wouldn’t skip class in favor of yelling at elected officials if he would do it for her.)

He’s about to pull out his research again to double check some figures (like they aren’t seared into his brain from constant study) when the door out to the hallway opens and a blonde in a pristine skirt suit enters the room. Wallace’s assistant straightens at the new presence and smiles graciously. 

“Miss Griffin, are you here to see the senator?”

Bellamy’s too busy gaping at the transformation from sullen and distant to suddenly helpful to notice the grimace of distaste pass over the blonde’s face.

“Yes, I’m here as a constituent for Lobby Day,” she responds, her voice rougher than Bellamy expected. 

“Are you sure? I’m positive the senator would be happy to see you privately.”

His mouth opens to protest, but the blonde answers before he can voice his annoyance. Gracefully, she sinks into the tiny chair beside Bellamy’s own. She, somehow, doesn’t look ridiculous. “I hate to be a bother. I’m sure a constituent meeting will be satisfactory enough.”

The assistant’s lips purse, but she nods anyway. “I’ll let him know you’re here, then,” and without further dawdling, picks up the phone to page Senator Wallace.

Bellamy eyes the blonde to his left suspiciously. Because he’d never been great at holding his tongue, the next words out of his mouth are not well-considered.

“That’s some pull you’ve got, princess.”

Immediately, the blonde stiffens, her back impossibly straightening further. When she turns on Bellamy, her gaze is flinty. “My name is Clarke. Clarke Griffin.”

And looking at Clarke Griffin straight on, it suddenly clicks.

“Right. Clarke Griffin. As in the daughter of Governor Griffin.”

“Former Governor Griffin,” she corrects quickly.

"Yes, that makes all the difference," he snipes, dreading this meeting even more. It was bad enough having to meet with Cage Wallace, but now he has to sit in a room with Cage Wallace and one of his cronies. Octavia is totally going to owe him for this.

"Listen," she hisses, imperious in her anger, "you may disagree with my mother's politics, but that doesn't mean you know anything about me. Got it?"

“Whatever you say, princess.”

From the look on her face, Bellamy is sure that he is about to get the verbal thrashing of his lifetime, but the sound of a door opening cuts her off. 

“Ah, Miss Griffin,” Senator Cage Wallace’s smile oozes artificial charm. This time, there is no way to miss the flash of distaste from Clarke. Apparently, the sight of Cage Wallace in all his slimy, political glory is enough to get Clarke to forget her annoyance with Bellamy in favor of bigger prey. Apparently, he misjudged her. “So lovely to see you again, how can I help you?”

Clarke rises to shake Wallace’s outstretched hand. With a glance back at Bellamy, who takes the cue and also gets up, she responds, “We’re actually here for Pro-Choice Lobby Day, Senator.”

Wallace’s gaze flickers over Bellamy dismissively and deigns to shake his hand. “Of course, how nice to meet you—?”

“Bellamy Blake.”

Cage nods vaguely, but turns back to Clarke, who looks supremely pained, as he leads them into his office. He gestures them to a couple of chairs set up across from his desk, which is probably too ornate for the Minority Senate Leader of a state legislature. 

Not that Bellamy is judging. 

When it becomes clear that Cage is pulling some power play and waiting for one of his visitors to open the conversation, Bellamy decides to bite the bullet.

“I’m sure you know about the two bills being heard in the House—“

“Let me stop you there. You’re aware I’m a senator, correct?” Wallace’s smirk is infuriating, more so than the snide comment.

“It would be hard to miss,” Clarke observes dryly, eyeing the ostentatious name plate on display.  _Senator Cage Wallace, Senate Minority Leader_ , it reads in shiny brass.

“Yeah,” Bellamy agrees woodenly, glancing at Clarke in confusion. She gives him a shallow nod and raises an eyebrow as if to say, _That all you've got?_  which is more encouraging than it should be. “Yes, but as the Minority Leader in the Senate, you should still be aware of what your colleagues in the House are doing, right?”

It’s like Bellamy can see the effort it takes Wallace not to roll his eyes. He nods anyway, smug smirk still in place, and Bellamy continues. 

“Well, I think it’s important that you know that you have pro-choice constituents in your district and if you were ever to vote to defund family planning clinics or make it harder for women to access care in this state, we would be tremendously disappointed.”

“I hate to disappoint any of my constituents,” Wallace intones flatly. It’s already hard to believe that the senator means anything sincerely, but this just makes it more difficult. “Of course, you have nothing to worry about since the Senate Majority would never allow either of those bills out of committee. I guarantee you that I won’t have a chance to vote on that issue."

Bellamy _hadn’t_ known that and as a result, is lost for what to say next. He darts a glance at Clarke Griffin which she thankfully takes as a cue to jump in.

“We know these two bills likely won’t be heard in the Senate, but it’s possible you’ll see them attached as amendments.” Wallace opens his mouth to cut her off, but Clarke presses forward, “Even if you don’t see these measures this session, you could in the future.”

“Well, for this session, those bills certainly won’t make it to the floor.”

“No,” Clarke agrees, “but as I said, they might in future sessions. I, for one, would love to know that women in your district can count on you to protect their access to—”

He cut her off, smirking benignly and leaving Clarke fuming. “Unfortunately, this is a sensitive issue, Miss Griffin.”

“Respectfully, Senator,” Clarke bites out, distinctly disrespectful, "I have to disagree. Guaranteeing people, but especially women, access to the medical care they—“

Again, Cage Wallace interrupts her. “Clarke, you and I both know that this is not about health care.” He smiles at her familiarly and completely ignores Bellamy. As a result, he's rewarded with two stony expressions. "It’s about protecting innocent lives. If my colleagues across the aisle were willing to be reasonable about this issue, then no one would be talking about defunding clinics.”

Clearly, Cage is talking around the issue and after interrupting Clarke twice, Bellamy wants to push him on it. 

“Whose life is more important? A fetus or an actual, living, breathing pregnant person? What about the people whose lives depend on the care the receive at family planning clinics? Defunding those clinics doesn’t keep women from wanting or needing abortions; it only increases the number of women who want to terminate their pregnancy and will resort to unsafe means to do so.”

(Octavia’s impassioned speeches had to come in handy sometime.)

Honestly, it’s shocking that Cage actually lets him finish his thought when he was so eager to cut off Clarke. Sneaking a peek at her from the corner of his eye, Bellamy is pretty sure that the pursed lips and furrowed brow are not good signs for the senator. Then, she’s looking back at Bellamy and their gazes lock. A jolt of understanding passes between them. She smiles, sharp and dangerous, and nods at him once more. 

From there, Bellamy and Clarke are on the same wavelength. They toss out statistics and estimates, lay out arguments about equity and justice and liberty, never speaking over each other, but seamlessly filling in gaps in the conversation. Wallace keeps trying to talk over Clarke, to the extent where she has to pointedly ask him to let her finish her thought. Eventually, she just keeps talking when he interrupts her, refusing to cede ground to his need to dominate the conversation.

They never get Cage to voice anything even resembling support for their cause, but they hadn't expected him to. He does get angry when Clarke points out that his positions make him anti-women, calling the accusation a blatant lie. 

Eventually, the assistant buzzes in with, “You’re wanted on the floor, Senator.”

Stiffly, he rises, and offers them each a handshakes. Stony-faced, he says, “Thank you for coming to meet with me,” before ushering them out the door. 

Back in the hallway, Bellamy blows out a long stream of air. Clarke slumps against the wall. 

“What a dick,” she mutters, just loud enough for Bellamy to hear. 

A little surprised and a lot delighted, Bellamy laughs. He extends his own hand to her and an easy grin. “That was quite the performance.”

After worryingly long consideration, she slides her palm against his to shake and smiles, too. “You weren’t so bad, yourself.” 

They stand in the hallway, smiling at each other like maniacs, until they hear Cage’s voice approach from the other side of the door. 

Without thinking, Bellamy grabs Clarke’s hand and tugs her down the hallway. A bright, surprised peal of laughter escapes her and Bellamy feels warm all over.

It only takes a few turns to realize that Maya the Page was completely right. The floor plan makes zero sense. 

Sheepishly, he turns to Clarke to ask if she knows where they are. Her cheeks are flushed from giggling as they fled Cage Wallace and his terrible opinions. Bellamy’s not above admitting that he freezes at the sight. Something warm and light unfolds in his chest. He's reasonably sure he’s ever felt like this before. Like the person in front of him is enough keep him smiling for weeks.

That airy glow turns heavier when Clarke's tongue darts out to wet her lips. She meets his gaze, bold and expectant. Just as he’s convincing himself to lean in and try to exceed those expectations, a quiet cough shatters the moment. 

They turn, and there’s Maya, looking both amused and a little mortified. 

“Do you two need help getting out of here?”

Clarke squeezes his fingers. Somehow, neither had dropped the other's hand. (There’s a sudden, half-formed thought that maybe they never would.) A world of possibilities stretches before them. 

He squeezes back and answers Maya while smiling down at Clarke. 

“I think we can handle it."

* * *

 

Later, when people ask how they met, Bellamy and Clarke will share a secret smile and give the short story. Who really wants to hear, "We both hated our state senator and wanted to fight him," after all?

**Author's Note:**

> This is hands down the most self-indulgent thing I've ever written. I almost can't believe I'm posting it. But I'm still mad about it more than 24 hours later, so maybe this can be catharsis or whatever. Actually I'm kind of mad I didn't write it yesterday, it would have been way sharper/more heated, but I was exhausted. (In case you can't tell, I'm pretty livid with my actual state senator.)
> 
> I'm not super thrilled with my characterization, aside from Cage as benevolent misogynist, but if I work on this much longer, I'll get over it. Also, not entirely satisfied with the end, so that might get reworked in the next day or so.
> 
> Anyway, I would love to know what you think (of this or weird local politics)! Drop me a comment here or a line at megaphonemonday on tumblr.


End file.
